"Let me entertain youLet me make you smile,

Let me do a few tricksSome old and then some new tricks, I'm very versatile"

-From the broadway show "Gypsy"

Tonight marks the official start to the US Presidential primary season, and the likely coronation of Donald Trump as the nominee of the Republican party. As recently as a couple of months ago, virtually no political pundits would have seriously bet on Trump seizing the GOP nomination, but no more. What began as a novelty campaign marked by insults, vague platitudes, and jingoistic bombast has implausibly snowballed into a full fledged movement. We'll know within the next few weeks whether the Trump candidacy is for real. Already in the past couple of interviews, there are signs that he's toning down the lunacy in an effort to win over more moderates. If it works, he may just pull off the slickest trick ever in US presidential politics.